Makya McBee’s is probably the best ever blog entry on WordPress “awards”: “Here’s how they work. When you win this award, you are requested to nominate ten other blogs…it’s essentially an award chain letter. Obviously, if every blogger that won this award were to nominate ten others, every single blogger in the world will have won within a matter of days. I’ve got to figure this hurts the prestige just a little. I mean, if after winning the Academy Award, Denzel was given ten more Oscars to quickly hand out to folks in the audience and so on and so forth…
…The internet has helped to create a world in which anyone can rant about anything, upload hilarious shots of teenagers getting hit in the crotch, and create your very own “music” video…and talent is never a prerequisite. Like almost everything in the universe, this is good and bad. But the web’s content is still mostly the latter. I’m sorry, but we’re not all special.
But not me, I am special. Clearly. I mean, I won an award, suckers.“
To me, the award thing is like recommending your favorite books to your ‘real life’ friends – it certainly doesn’t mean the book you liked increased its chances of winning a Booker, but the friend will appreciate the recommendation; more so that advice on books is the only advice i personally take from others. See, i gave up long ago advising anyone on anything – and i don’t ask for advice either; when we are ready to deal with anything perceived as a challenge, we are granted clarity of thought too – and strength to handle whatever was sent sent our way; before that – it’s futile to get advice and in my experience it only develops animosity to whomever is giving it.
Just think of the last time someone close to you vented about their partner or children, how irresponsible or inconsiderate they were… If you are naive enough to advice them anything – to calm down, not to take it that way, to seek counseling – first, chances are they’ll take out their frustration on you, second – once they make it up with their significant others, you’ll be the mean bitch who wished them ill… So, nay. I am not listening to angry rants – and i am sparing my friends of mine; there are peeps who are trained to deal with it – i am not.
When it comes to books, it’s all another story – if you recommend me a book i haven’t read and i like it – you opened the door for me to an adventure of which i didn’t know it existed and that’s the kind of surprise i like the most. Especially when it comes to these complex philosophical subjects i like to meddle with – a good recommendation is worth of gold.
So, that’s how i view WordPress ‘awards’ – its merely my list of blogs i check out whenever they post something new because its authors are talented, creative and non-commercial. Which is – on many blogs i follow you can buy photography or books, that’s one thing, but the blogs which open with: I started this so you can buy *insert whatever they are selling ..* No, thank you – i can look up myself whatever i need to buy and i loathe aggressive marketing tactics, i have enough of marketers in real life.
(And if one is down to pressuring their blog followers to buy products or services – i believe they’d rather rethink their business strategy, i really don’t think it earns anything more then embarrassment; a blog, as i see it, is for expanding on what we do and why, and to promote it – not to guilt trip someone to buy stuff just because they stopped by to read an entry or two – in my opinion that is.)
So, this is my list of some of my favorite blogs (in no particular order) which offer awesome content – and some of it is available for sale; i really don’t expect anyone to continue this chain-thing, unless they find it utterly entertaining :
1. Arlen is a super cool guy from Armenia who loves animal and writes books: http://arlenshah.wordpress.com
2. Dianne Gray is an amazing author from Australia whose latest blog entry got Freshly Pressed: http://diannegray.wordpress.com
3. Bonnie Cehovet is a prolific blogger who writes great microfiction and the best tarot and oracle reviews i know of: http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com
4. Tea& Tao is a great blog for daily inspiration: http://teaandtao.com
5. Judy offers amazing recipes and baking tips: http://petit4chocolatier.wordpress.com
6. Slicethelife posts awesome insight into American history and some great pics too: http://slicethelife.com
7. The cultureur has impressive intellectual content: http://thecultureur.com
8. Leanne Cole posts great photographs: http://leannecolephotography.com
9. I love Christian Mihai’s writing style: http://cristianmihai.net
10. Russel Ray and Zoey are among my favorites: http://russelrayphotos2.com
11. Setsnap is a place to go on gloomy days, you’ll love his pictures and they will brighten your mood: http://sethsnap.wordpress.com
12. Marviilous is an amazing Indonesian woman living in US who is snapping some marvelous pictures of wildlife and landscapes: http://marviiilous.wordpress.com
13. Anne writes great poetry: http://shrewdbanana.wordpress.com
14. I adore Truth&Cake: http://truthandcake.com
15. Shovonc is one of the best satire writers around and his blog is on the stuff that does matter: http://shovonc.wordpress.com/
There are many more blogs i love and follow, but sadly this round i can recommend only fifteen of them.
I am also supposed to write seven things about myself (and so are you, if you are to continue the game), so here they are:
1. I am somewhat irked by the term ‘blogger’ – many of us are published writers and recognized artists who simply choose new venues of publishing. Here you can read my musings on the phenomena of blogosphere.
2. I don’t really make a difference between so-called “real life” and online experiences, To Hell With Common Sense is about that.
3. Prague, a coming of age story is an excerpt from my memoir, and the first piece i wrote in English; it took ages and i cried of frustration, but i am glad how it turned out at the end.
4. According to WordPress statistics, in less then a year since i started this blog more people have read what i write – than in 12 years since i was first published in my native Montenegro.
5. The photographs i often include in my posts are taken by automatic camera, i can’t claim i know anything about the art of photography – i simply snap some moments that are special to me; i am happy i can connect with guys who are pros that way and i love keeping up with what they do.
6. I oftentimes prefer thinking in solitude to events and crowds of people, so this blog and my writing in general is more about ideas which to this or that extent influence all of us – no matter the geographical location.
7. I’ll be moving to Moscow soon, i am working on my PhD thesis there, so stay tuned for more From Russia With Love writings and pictures too.
With Love,
wherever you are
L.R.S.
I’m honored! Thanks, Ruth for your kind review. I’ll probably be following all the other blogs you recommend. I’ve already checked some and they are gret! Thanks again From Barcelona With Love 😉
Thank you for the continuous inspiration and kind words! I am so happy i found your blog – it’s amazing how uplifting and encouraging is what you do! Keep up the good work!
Congratulations on your award; well deserved!
Thank you for the recognition; I truly appreciate it.
Your writing is beautiful and the way that you announced the chosen blogs was genuinely thoughtful.
Congratulations and best wishes while working on your PhD, and I cannot wait for your Moscow writings and pictures!
Thank you, dear Judy! My mother is another devoted fan of yours – albeit i have to translate for her as her English is not that fluent! Oh, and i made your famous French Onion Soup for my father the other day – he loved it! Thank you once again!
How wonderful to hear! Thank you so much! I am so glad your dad loved the soup!!
Dear Lena, my honest greetings to your super blog! 🙂 My congratulations on your new award which you totally deserve! My wishes to all your future endeavours!
I’m sure that all the readers will agree that you have an amazing blog with very unique thoughts of the Author. Be blessed!
Best regards,
Arlen
Thank you, dear Arlen! Так как по сути дела виновник торжества – это ты, друг мой – и я тебя поздравляю! ❤ 😀
Спасибо Лена. Если это тост, то смешной 🙂 а если серьезно, то не только я виновник торжества, так как там еще 14 других блогеров.
Кстати, я поделился этим постом на моей странице Facebook, а еще и на Твиттере. Кроем того я добавил номинацию на моей странице “Awards”. Спасибо еще раз!
Арлен
Тебе спасибо, дорогой Арлен! 😉
Lena –
Great thoughts here … and thank you for including my flash fiction blog! I picked up two more “must follow” blogs from your list! You have made my morning!
Blessings,
Bonnie
Thank you, dear Bonnie! I am forever your fan ❤
Thanks for sharing some great new blogs with the rest of us! Oh yeah, yours was pretty cool too! lol Take care! xo
Thank you, Julia! I loved yours, will follow with interest!
“Congratulations Lena”
Thank you, dear Jim! I wish you would start a photo blog – i adore your photography, and i know it would be a hit (especially Ali’s pics ❤ )
I’m giving you an award for “The Best Award Acceptance Speech Ever!!!” This is fantastic. In fact, I’m still laughing at the Denzel comment.
Thank you so much for nominating me, my dear. I am honoured to accept this award 😉
And congrats to you! I’ll be looking at all your other nominees now (I KNOW they’ll be good) 😀
Thank you that you are, dear Dianne!!! 😉 ❤
Thank you. Don’t know how I slipped in, but there seem to be some really nice blogs here. Saving this post and checking them out. And congrats!
I love your writing style – and you write on people and events that have impact on the society ; also (unlike many of our own men of pen) – as difficult as some of the topics are, you never resort to hate speech and i wish we had more writers like that! Oftentimes when i read local papers/blogs, i get sick in my stomach, i can’t stand the quantity of vitriol that’s spilled over …
This is awesome. Makya McBee’s ‘award’ entry made me crack up. “I won an award, suckers!” 😀
Yes! Lol! 😀 Thank you for the kind words. 😉